The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-18
FOR AND AGAINST ANARCHY.
Beginning Of the Argument on the APP
peal to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Hon. Leonard SWEET and Mr.. Zeisler Appear
for the Defendants, While Mr. Ingham
Argues in Behalf of the Prosecution.

OTTAWA, Ill, March lf-At O'CLOCK this
morning the arguments before the Supreme
Court in the Anarchist case began. The court
room Was crowded, and more than fifty ladies
were among those who were interested listeners
to the arguments.
Technically, the case comes before the court on
writ of error. but in plain language the ques-
ton to be decided is whether by reason of error
on the trial before Judge Gary. the conviction
OF the Anarchists was improperly secured and
they are justly entitled to new trial, or wheth-
er there was no error and the sentence of the
court below shall stand an6 the men shall be
hanged. If the latter decision shall be arrived
at, the Supreme Court will fix the day for their
execution. The arguments of counsel are at
tracing a great deal of attention here. and a
large crowd has filled the courtroom all day and
the library rooms adjoining. Among those who
heard the speeches were fifty or sixty ladies.
The Supreme Court judges were all present, ex-
cept Chiefjustice Scott, who Is in California
for his health, and all appeared to listen
to the arguments with very close atten-
ton. Two three times members of the
court interrupted with questions. Each Judge
had on the desk before him copies of the briefs
of counsel for both sides, and referred to them
frequently during the progress of the arguments
On the two tables for counsel in front of the
clerks desk were not only copies of the briefs.
but the twenty odd large volumes constituting
the record, and number Of law books besides.
Behind these legal Notifications sat Attorney
general Hunt. States Attorney Grinnel! and
Geo. c. 1ngham for the State. and Leonard
SWEET, Captain Black and Sigmund Zeisler for
the Anarchists. Frank Walker and Mr.. Solomon.
also connected with the case. were present, but
only as interested listeners. Mr.. SWEET Mr..
Ingham and Mr.. Zeiser, in order named, spoke
to-day. each one occupying the full two hours
allowed him. Mr.. SWEETS speech was disap-
pointment to those who heard him. It
ported that he was unable to do himself justice
on account of not feeling we'll He left the
courtroom soon as he had finished and reap
| peared only for short time in the afternoon.
| Mr.. SWEET began his argument by saying
| when think that eight lives depend on the
| convictions and impressions I may make by
what shall say, cannot hello shuddering"
| Continuing, he said he was afaid he could not
make the case understandable in the short time
| allowed him. The record contained over s, 900
pages. He was not in the case in the court be-
low. and had found great difficulty in getting
understanding of it himself He said he would
| go to Solomon & Zesler's Office, and hear them
talk and read all day. and then would go home
| and think he did not know anything. He had
| to camp each night who're Captain Black and
| Solomon, and Zeisler had camped the night be-
| fore.
/ After presenting the court with q printed syn
! opsis of mis- argument. which. he said. was a
| skeleton of the road he was going to walk over,
| Mr. SWEET declared that every one Of the de-
| PENDANTS In the court below WAS absolutely in
| nocent The case against Neebe was simply
| that he at picnic at which a
peddler sold Mosts book. Mr.. SWEET referred to
the other defendants severaly in similar
| way and then turned his attention to the wit
nesses Thompson and Gilmer. The latter, he
| said, testified that he could either go through
Cranes building or around the corner Of il. He
unfolded drawing showing the Haynarket and
| its surroundings, and induced Mr.. Salomon TO
stand up at intervals of two minutes. for the
next hour, in order to prevent one end from curl
| ing up while he retained the other. The court
could not with any distinctEess what
| was on the paper, and Mr.. Swetts explanations
| would have prevented them from understanding
the drawing if it should be seen, for he got the
| directions of the streets and alleys badly mixed
| in his comments Mr. SWEET spoke mere than
half an hour in enforcing the idea that Gimer
could not around corner. 1t was prepos-
ferrous to believe that Spies and Fischer we're
talking English in the alley, Gilmer and
| Thompson testified The Haymarket meeting
was peaceable one until the police raided it.
He did not wish to say anything against the no.
lice, hut it may have been that the feeling that,
40 long as so many of them were there
have fight, influenced the police to attack the
meeting. The court erred. Mr.. SWEET said in
not admitting evidence showing that Spies and
Fischer habitually talked in German. Herr
Mos,'s book ard his letter to Spies were illegal
evidence in the case, and their admission had a
most damaging effect.
Judge Mulkey asked if the book was taken by
the jury when it retired.
Mr. SWEET said he did not know, whereupon
Captain Black said it was not.
The conviction one entirely without any
corpus deficits. 1t was proved against several Of
| the defendants that they INDUCED in some very
foolish rhetoric. They knew something was the
matter with them, but did not know what it
was, and they talked in a very foolish manner
about their troubles. But they should not he
} hanged for that He referred to Judge Gary as
an excellent but Jealous judge in the case and
} said his rulings were clearly wrong In a number
of instances. In closing, Mr.. SWEET said he
hoped simply for the triumphant vindication OF
the law.
Mr. Ineham for the State followed Mr..
SWEET and spoke an hour before the noon inter
, mission, and hour after it. His speech
showed very careful preparation and systemat
ic arrangement of his points, which, with the
force with which he presented them, proved
very effective. He turned his attention, first
, to showing how the evidence proved the exist
ence of conspiracy to cause a social revolution
|, by forcbe means. and that the arrangements
for carrying out the conspiracy were being actu
ally made and enforced by the defendants. The
law he said. allowed the proving of the existence
: of a conspiracy before connecting any onein par
: ticular with it. There was great deal of i'm
portant evidence in the case which Mr. SWEET ha(
not referred to at all, and it could not be ig
). nored by keeping silence regarding conspiracy
gigantic in proportions, which existed not onl.
in Chicago and In this country. but in nearly
every country. having for its object chaos anon!
+ men, and, as the road to that goal, the commits
Q sion OF slaughter and the shedding of blood
]. Mr.. Ingham referred at some length to the eyi
dence relating to Spies's speech at GRAM
q Rapids. in which he foretold the coming reyolu
y ton and declared that active steps toward bring
l. ing it about were being taken in Chicago. TIL
d witnesses from Grand Rapids testified tina
a Spies told them that he fully understood that b
n and those associated with him in bringing o.
# the revolution were mourning danger. for, Will